§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current share of gross domestic product taken by social security expenditure in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) each of the other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
§ Mr. HagueThe customary measure used when making international comparisons is public social protection expenditure, which includes public health care costs, personal social services and compulsory occupational pensions as well as social security spending. The figures for social protection for the United Kingdom and OECD countries are in the table.
Social protection expenditure as a percentage of GDP Country 1990 Per cent. United Kingdom 23 Belgium 27 Denmark 30 France 28 Germany 27 Greece 121 Ireland 20 Italy 24 Luxembourg 26 Netherlands 32 Portugal 17 Spain 21 Australia 13 Austria 25 Canada 219 Finland 27 Japan 12 Norway 29 New Zealand 19 Sweden 34 United States 215 1 1989. 2 Estimate. Source: Eurostat, OECD.